I wanted to ask you a question about processing while I am at it: Is when making hojicha from bancha, are the tea leaves processed into to finished tea or aracha first or just roasted? I am pretty sure kyobancha is just roasted, I am not so sure about regular hojicha.

BTW I am not trying to claim the roasting is going to have a big difference on caffine content. I think claim that roasting is the reason that hojicha has less caffine –if it does– is wrong.

Well, for some reason houjicha is always described as a Japanese tea with very low caffeine while bancha or aracha aren't.

You mean it's a myth?

And that would also mean that caffeine isn't lowered because of the roasting process. Hence what it says about houjicha in wikipedia (both US and Japan versions), Ippodo Tea website and Ito En website (Japanese companies, which should know better than those in US) are all lies according to you?

At least the kuki-houjicha version is known for certain to be significantly lower in caffeine since the kukicha is already lower.

I do not recall seeing many scientific studies on whether the caffeine is reduced by such a short roasting. This would have to be done side by side with a control sample of the same leaves, not roasted.